Airplane control



G. DE BEESON "2,146,800

AIRPLANE CONTROL Original Filed June 25, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Feb. 14, 193-9.

(5 DE BEESON 2,146,800

AIRPLANE CONTROL Original Filed. June 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet. 2

I a a o 'r-\ f f I e 93 9 71 64 65 2 70 4 5] a 59 21 6 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Fb. 14, 1939. 3 DE BEESON 2346,800-

' AIRPLANE CONTROL Original Filed June 25, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

BY d5 I ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 14, 1939 4 2,146,800 AIRPLANE common George De Beeson, Los Angcles, CallL, assignor to Kormann Acre-Safety Appliance, Inc., Glendale, Caliii, a corporation of Nevada I Reflled for abandoned application Serial No.

463,692, June 25, 1930. This application November 27, 1935, Serial No. 51,851

7 Claims. (Cl. 244-78) The present invention is an improvement of Figure is a detail showing a hinged support the apparatus set forth in my Patent No. 1,829,- for the base of the set of poises which control 790, granted November 3, 1931, for an Automatic the airplanes dip or flying angle.

airplane control. Figure 6 is a diagram showing one control in 5 This application is a substitute for my abanefiective position. 5 doned application, Serial No. 463,692, filed June In the illustrated embodiment, an airplane 25th, 1930. stick 2 has a set of lines 3 and .4 running back In that apparatus the ailerons, the elevator from lever ion a rock shaft 5 to the elevator and the rudder are shown as automatically consurface 7. The rock shaft 6 is also connected l0 trolled by means of gravity actuated poises conby a link 8 to a lever 9, which is loose on its 10 trolling electric circuits, which, in turn, control trunnion ID. v .the operation of pneumatic motors which efl'ected The stick 2 is connected to a rock shaft II,

the movements of the ships control surfaces, which is at a right angle to the rock shaft 6 just mentioned. and has an arm I? which is connected to coun- It is an object of the present invention to teractive cables iS-M, which are hitched to 5 eliminate the electrical apparatus and provide opposed points of levers l5 of right and left hand a pneumatic primary in association with the ailerons iG-il. The stick 2 is connected by a poises instead. link iii to a bell crank l9, one of whose arms A further. object is to provide a positive meis connected by a link to a lever 2| loose on 20 chanical motor to actuate the surfaces instead the trunnion Ill. The stick 2 is so mounted 20 of pneumatic motors, and, for example, -to prothat it may oscillate to right and to left to move yide a motor which takes power from the slip the ailerons independently of the rock shaft 6, stream of the ships propeller. or vice versa, as is current practice in manual An additional object is to provide an automatic controls in general use at this period.

airplane control apparatus so structurally de- I A standard rudder bar 25 has cables Mi run- 25 signed and i'ncorporated in the ship that the ning back to the usual rudder 21 and alsohas automatic: assembly can, at will, be thrown out a link 28 connected to a lever 29 loose on the of eiiective relation with the ships manual contrunnion l0. trols so that these can be operated wholly inde- Thus, is presented a row of levers 9-2| -29,

30 pendent of the automatic control. each normally in a neutral, vertical position, as30 This invention consists of certain advancedetermined by neutral position of the manual ments in this art as set forth in the ensuing disstick and rudder elements 225. closure and having, with the above, additional Opposite to this row of levers is a case 30 objects and advantages and whose construction, readily adjustable on supports 3| by suitable combination and details of means and manner of means, as a lever 32 disposed adjacent to the 35 operation will be made manifest in the descrippilots seat 33. In this case or box 30 is comtion of the herewith illustrative embodiment; pactly arranged the automatic control mechait being understood that modifications, variations nism which operates one or another, or all, of a and adaptations may be resorted to within the set of levers or actuators 2l -9 -29 which are 40 scope, principle and spii'it"-'of the invention as mounted on the box 30 in a position to be set 40 it is more directly claimed hereinafter. in cooperative relation with respective levers Figure l is a schematic perspective of an air- 2l-- 9'-29. planes conventional type of manual control and The-actuators are each controlled and operated relative surfaces with which the present, im-- by one or another of a set of triplicate mechaproved automatic control is combined, .being nisms, two of which are under primary control 45 shown as in thrown-out or ineffective position. of respective poise couples 35-35, or 36-46, Figure 2 is an edge view of one of the control the'other being under control of a steering media, p for instance, an earth inductor compass 31 (in- Figure 3 is a plan of .the system of poises (as, dicated diagrammatically).

disposed in a housing box). l It may be here stated that the function of the so Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the operacompass is to control through its associated mechtive mechanism'of the automatic control, only anism'the steering movements of the ship by one set of co-relative poises and its related action of its rudderthrough the automatic acpneumatics and transmission to an actuator being tuator 29 on the rudder bar 25. l

shown- The poise couple35-35' is related to the aileron 5| 10 reciprocative on a support 1|.

mechanism, and the couple 36-36 is related to the elevator, this coordination being depleted graphically in plan in Fig. 3, showing the box 30 athwartship on axis F-R, F indicating the front of the ship.

The control mechanism For a particular description of the construction, action and function of the poise couple device, attention is directed to aforesaid application Serial No. 410,461, in which the poises served as controls for electric switches.

In the present apparatus, each poise device includes a pair of poise weights, as 35-35, and the following description will treat of this couple and its associated train of means down to the relative actuator 2|" for the aileron system, it being understood that the control mechanisms for the elevator and for the rudder are similar to that for the ailerons, except that the compass or steering control medium utilized is used in place of a poise couple to control the rudder actuative system.

Let it be said that the'poise 35 is for left aileron control and poise 35 is for right aileron control (Fi 4). 1

The poise 35 is hung by a pivot 40, well above its center of gravity, in a yoke 4| pivoted at its lower end on a trunnion 42 on a base 43. The poise is controlled in direction of tilt from the plumb by opposed screws 44 set contiguous to a tip-pin 45.

The yoke 4| has a tip-horn 46 engageable in one direction of tilt. by a stop-screw 41 and has a yielding element 48, which will herein be called a valve. The companion poise 35 is mounted in a similar manner and has similar parts, but is arranged in a reverse position and its valve element 48 thus becomes effective when its poise 35 tips the opposite of poise 35.

The poise valve 48 stands normally away from a. valve seat 58 of a tube 5| leading to a pouch chamber 52, and the valve48* stands normally away and open from its seat 53 on a tube 54, which leads to a pouch chamber 55.

From each pouch 52-55 air is drawn through tubes 56 joining a. common tube 51 to an intermediate, automatic pressure equalizing device, as a bellows 58, which is exhausted by an eductor pump 59. The equalizer has a relief valve 58,

which is automatically opened when the air tension falls below a desired degree.

A feature of the apparatus is the combination with the eductor 59 of a suitable, positive power drive therefor. This, in the case shown, includes .a wind-wheel 60.positioned in the slipstream from the airplanes propeller (not shown) and having a shaft 6| driving a sprocket wheel 62 and its chain 63 and thereby a wheel 64 on a countershaft 65, which is connected by a link 66 to the piston or leaf of the educting pump 59.

The actuator 2| (Fig. 4) is connected by a link 68 to a lever 69, which is oscillated by a slide The slide has a two-way clutch dog 12, which is movable up or down to grapple incidentally adjacent upper or lower part of the stretches of the chain 63 during its action, which is continuous so long as the wind-wheel 68 is running. The clutch is operable, soas to selectively connect the slide to the chain, by suitable means here shown as in cluding a trip rod 13 with a lever 14 oscillative to opposite-sides of neutral bypowerof a pneumatic action device, which has upper and lower vacuum chambers 1516 separated by a common The direction of motion of the chain is indicated by arrows. The slide 18 is normally in central ready position between the wheels 62-44, and the selective leaf 11 is balanced in neutral by reason of equal pressure in'opposite chambers 15-16.

The chamber 15 is connected to a master pneumatic device 82 by a conduit 83 and the opposite chamber 16 is connected toasimilar pneumatic device 82' by a conduit 8|.

Each of these devices includes a vacuum chamber 84 leading by common connection 85 to the eductor tube 51 (constantly exhausted). Each chamber 84 has a diaphragm 86'over a box 81 to which leads a respective tube 88 (or 89). The tube 88 has a branch 88} to a spring valve 88 which normally closes the branch 88. The valve 88 'is attached to a diaphragm 55'- in the chamber 55, and so long as the poise valve 48 leaves tube 54 open air flows free to the branch 56. If the ship tips down on the right and valve 48 shuts of! tube 54, then the suction under diaphragm 55' causes this to pull down the valve 88', which closes a tube 89 connected to a slide valve 92, which is shown in neutral position over a ported block 88, and the purpose of which is to secure the restoration of the dog slide 18 to neutral after it has been shifted either way by the drive chain 63 of its assembly, and also to bring controls to neutral.

When the valve 88'" opens tube 88-, air flows freely to the chamber 81 of master device", and the unbalanced suction in space 84 causes the diaphragm to move up a valve 86' and close the port 86 and open port 86 so that conduit 88 will draw air from its chamber 15 of the selector device of the clutch.

There is a restrictive bleed port 82" from pouch 81 to space 84, and so long as the slide valve 92 is v in neutral it shuts off the port 86 and its air inlet port 88 in block 92. This valve at the same time is shutting off ports 89 and 89 which are to supply free air to the conduit'89 of the pneumatic 82'. The ports 88 -49 open direct to atmosphere.

The slide valve has a duct 88' to intercommunicate relative ports 88"-88 'when the, valve is shifted to the left by its connected actuator 2|.

The slide valve 92 has a duct 89' to intercommunicate relative ports 89 -49 when the valve is shifted to the right by the actuator 2 I.

A valve 89 is connected to a diaphragm 52* of chamber 52 and when the poise valve 48 is tipped over and closes the seat 58 of tube 5| a low pressure is drawn by line 51 in the chamber 52, so that the valve 89 is moved down and closes the tube 88 leading to the duct 88' of slide valve 82.

It may here-be stated that the function of the yielding nature of the poise valves 48-48 is to compensate for vibrations of more rigid parts which would defeat effective valve closure on the seats. t

The operation of any one pneumatic system and mechanism to its actuator (20-9 -290 is the same as the others and the following sets forth the operation of one system.

If the ship tips down on the right side the poise valve 48 closes on seat 58 and stops flow into the line 54 with the result that vacuum is set up in the chamber 55 and, therefore, free air on the diaphragm 55 drives it down and-pulls valve 86' from tube 88 This permits free air to pass to the controller or master device 82, whose valve 86 is, therefore, shifted up and opens the tube 83 of chamber "to the vacuum tube 85 through port 88.

, the open port 80 in device 82 is driven over by the duct 89 over ports 89 -89.

' pressure and, therefore, rocks the lever I4 so as to push down the clutch I2.

This engages the chain 63 and the slide 10 is drawn to the'left and this pushes over actuator 2, which moves control stick to left and also pushes over slide valve 92 from neutral to place The latter is open to atmosphere. This allows air pressure to flow by tube 89 to master valve 80. This throws vacuum by line 8| to chamber 16, thus equalizing the vacuum on both sides of theleaf TI and brings it again to neutral and thereby disengages the clutch 12, which is now at the end of the left stroke of the slide 10.

As long as the ship is tipped to right the poise valve l8 iszclosing line 54, and this keeps a vacuum in the box 55-which causes valve 88 to stay down and also causes line 88 to stay open with the result that the master valve 86 is stillheld up by air pressure in its pouch chamber'8l, so that line 83 still has vacuum to space 15 of the selector device.

As the ship is brought to normal .by the motivated actuator 2|", the poise 35- comes to neutral and opens valve 48, which admits atmospheric pressure to line 54 causing the valve 88 of cham-' -,on line 88', which connects to pouch 81 and relieves atmospheric pressure in the pouch 81, so that the valve 815 is thrown 'down by atmospheric pressure which also flows by line 83 to' space 15 of the selector, with the result thatthe leaf ll is pushed down and causes the clutch to move up and engage the top part of the chain 83, thereby drawing back the shifted slide 10 to center position.

By doing this. the valve 92 is moved by lever 2'! to its neutral position, which shuts oiT atmospheric pressure from line 89 which leads by line 89 to pouch 82' and relieves it of atmospheric pressure,

, so that its valve 80 is forced down by atmospheric pressure.

This lets atmospheric pressure through line 8| to chamber 18 with the result thatleaf I1 is under equalized pressure and being mechanically balanced comes to neutral.

The "same mode of operation occurs through the control valve 89 if the ship tips to the left, the slide valve 92 acting oppositely so as to register the duct 88' with the ports 8888 valve 89 when down closes line'88 The base 43*, Figure 5,is related to the poise controls of the elevators and is pivotally supported on an axis 43 transverse the ship, so that a desired angle of flight may be manually set by inclination of the base to predetermine a degree of.

. angle at which the automatic poise control means adapted to be actuated by an instrument responsive to the deviation of the vessel from a desired position of a system of power transmissions operated by a source of power independent of said pneumatic means, an actuator for a control surface of an airplane, means. operated by said pneumatic means for selectively connecting the actuator with the power transmissions, and means controlled by the position of said actuator'for operating said power transmission selecting means for resetting the power transmissions and actuators to the neutral position when said in-,

strument returns to the normal position and without requiring'overcontrol by said instrument.-

2. An automatic control apparatus for a vessel comprising in combination with oppositely acting means, an actuator for a vessel control, a clutch means operated by said pneumatic means for connecting said actuator to said transmission to be driven thereby in selected directions, and means for reversing the connection'of said actuator to the power transmission on arrival of the instrument at the normal position.

3. An automatic control apparatus for a vessel comprising in combination with oppositely acting pneumatic means adapted to be operated in opposite directions by the deviation of an instrument from a normal position of a normally continuously moving power transmission driven by a source of power independent of said pneumatic means, an actuator for a vessel control, a clutch means operated by said pneumatic means for connecting said actuator to said transmission to be driven thereby in selected directions, means for reversing the connection of said actuator to the power transmission on arrival of the instrument at the normal position, and means operated by the return of the actuator tothe normal position for disconnecting the actuator from the power transmission.

4. An automatic control apparatusfor vessels, including the combination with pneumatic valve means capable of responding to the deviation of an instrument from a normal position of an actuator for operating a vessel control, a normally driven transmission operated by a source of power independent of said pneumatic means, a clutch adapted to be operated as said pneumatic means and to be reversely connected to said transmission, said'pneumatic means having means to reverse the connection of the clutch to the power transmission when its control by the instrument is terminated, and means operated by the actuator on the return of the actuator to normal position to disconnect the clutch from said power transmission.

5. A control apparatus for vessels, comprising a combination with pneumatic means capable of responding to the deviations of an instrument from a normal position, means continuously'driving a chain, a double acting clutch operated by said pneumatic means to be oppositely connected to said chain, and an actuator for vessel control connected. with said clutch.

6. A control apparatus for vessels, comprising a combination with pneumatic means capable of responding to the deviations of an instrument from a normal position, means continuously driving a chain, a double acting clutch operated by said pneumatic means to be oppositely connected to acting clutch connected to operate said actuator and normally continuously moving power transmission to which said clutch is adapted to be reversibly connected, an instrument control means for connecting said clutch to said power transmission, means for reversing the connection of 5 said clutch to said power transmission on the return of the vessel to normal position, and means for thereafter disconnecting the clutch from the power transmission on the return 01' the actuator to normal position.

GEORGE DE BEESON. 

